1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to inkjet printers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet printers are well known, and are equipped with a plurality of nozzles to perform predetermined printing operations on a medium by an inkjet technique. Such an inkjet printer has a capping unit for allowing the nozzles to eject ink appropriately. The capping unit has a cap for covering a nozzle surface containing the nozzles when printing is not performed.
The capping unit forms a sealed space by covering the nozzle surface with the cap. This prevents the ink from drying out. With the sealed space formed, a suction pump connected to the capping unit is operated so that the ink with an increased viscosity and the dust that has adhered to the nozzles can be forcibly sucked out of the nozzles. This can prevent clogging of the nozzles.
When the ink adhering to the cap solidifies, the ink may cause the suction passage connecting the cap to the suction pump to clog up, or the ink firmly adhering to the cap may impede formation of the sealed space if the cap covers the nozzle surface. In order to solve such a problem, a cleaning solution is used to remove the ink adhering to the cap.
However, after the removal of the ink adhering to the cap using the cleaning solution, the cleaning solution may, in some cases, still remain on the cap. If the nozzle surface is covered by the cap under this condition, the cleaning solution may adhere to the nozzle surface. If printing is attempted with the cleaning solution adhering to the nozzle surface, the medium may be stained with the cleaning solution in printing.